Can you help me decide between a few tomatoes?

LindyAdele · January 26, 2017

I have limited space and narrowing down my list is SUPER HARD!! I can only grow 16 varieties. We love our cherries, and grow at least 6 cherry/salad types. The best producers in my garden are Russian/German varieties it seems. Dwarfs, Pastes and Hearts all fail. I can't get them produce anything more than a couple of fruit each, and the plants fall to disease pretty easily. Contrast that to Striped German, Black Krim, Amana Orange, Zapotec, Coustralee or Marianna's Peace and I get 20 or more fruit from each gigantic plant. They are grown in the same bed, started the same way so the difference is striking.

So help me decide between the varieties listed, which would you grow for taste and production balance? I can grow one of each of these. I have only listed those for which I actually have seeds.

ORANGE: Orange Minsk / Orange Jazz / Summer Cider

RED/PINK/YELLOW STRIPE: Jazz / Solar Flare / Lithium Sunset

PINK SLICER: Rebel Yell / Dester / Grightmire's Pride

BLACK: Japanese Black Triefel / Black Icicle / Margaret Curtain

Any other suggestions welcome.

Thanks for your help!

Labradors2 · January 26, 2017

From your list, I have tasted, and LOVED:

Lithium Sunset (WONDERFUL. Not grown by me, but will grow it this year!)

Grightmire's Pride (which is a heart BTW. Grows well for me).

Margaret Curtain. Really pumped them out, but has radial cracking. I preferred the taste of Indian Stripe RL, but production wasn't as good. (Am growing ISPL and maybe ISRL this year).

How about an early variety? I grew Moravsky Div last year and it produced well and it tasted good.

A friend starts some compact varieties for me in mid-Feb and I grow them in 3 gallon containers that can easily be put outside early and brought inside if it gets too cold. I get tomatoes by mid June this way. I love Early Annie, but Jagodka is earlier. Maglia Rosa is another that would grow in a container and they are beautiful, tasty, and can be eaten at any stage of redness.

More ideas for you would be:

Black Early
Eva Purple Ball
Little Lucky (my favourite, but perhaps a little late for you)
Lindy's Little Krim. Very productive, and sweet

Linda

LindyAdele · January 26, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Labradors2

From your list, I have tasted, and LOVED:

Lithium Sunset (WONDERFUL. Not grown by me, but will grow it this year!)

Grightmire's Pride (which is a heart BTW. Grows well for me).

Margaret Curtain. Really pumped them out, but has radial cracking. I preferred the taste of Indian Stripe RL, but production wasn't as good. (Am growing ISPL and maybe ISRL this year).

How about an early variety? I grew Moravsky Div last year and it produced well and it tasted good.

A friend starts some compact varieties for me in mid-Feb and I grow them in 3 gallon containers that can easily be put outside early and brought inside if it gets too cold. I get tomatoes by mid June this way. I love Early Annie, but Jagodka is earlier. Maglia Rosa is another that would grow in a container and they are beautiful, tasty, and can be eaten at any stage of redness.

More ideas for you would be:

Black Early
Eva Purple Ball
Little Lucky (my favourite, but perhaps a little late for you)
Lindy's Little Krim. Very productive, and sweet

Linda

heehee - of course I'll be growing Lindy's Little Krim! It was my discovery.

I do grow Maglia in a container already. Thanks for the suggestions! I am going to look into Black Early, and Little Lucky too.

JosephineRose · January 26, 2017

I've tried Solar Flare twice now and it has failed me both times. I think it needs high heat to really produce.

barbamWY · January 26, 2017

I have grown both Dester and Margaret Curtain. Dester is late for me but good. I have better luck with Black Early over Margaret Curtain.
Barb

Gardeneer · January 26, 2017

Of your list I have only grown Japanese Black Triefel.
It is very tasty and fruit shape is slightly pear like.
But it was not as productive that as I wanted. So I am growing other black varieties.

cloz · January 26, 2017

Orange Jazz is a large great tasting productive tomato that was early to ripen in my garden. Rebel Yell was also a good tasting tomato but was one of the last to ripen in my garden.
I grew Japanese Black Trifle a few years ago but did not like the taste so it has not been re-grown.

Cloz

AlittleSalt · January 26, 2017

Riesentraube is very good cherry type. http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Riesentraube

LindyAdele · January 26, 2017

Thanks everyone for your responses! It's hard to know what to do, tomatoes perform so differently for different people, don't they? I think I just need to take a leap and try a few new things, and see what happens!

Labradors2 · January 26, 2017

Reisentraube was very productive for me. My neighbor loved it and I grew it for her a few years, but I found the taste a tad too tangy.

Linda

Tormato · January 27, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by LindyAdele

I have limited space and narrowing down my list is SUPER HARD!! I can only grow 16 varieties. We love our cherries, and grow at least 6 cherry/salad types. The best producers in my garden are Russian/German varieties it seems. Dwarfs, Pastes and Hearts all fail. I can't get them produce anything more than a couple of fruit each, and the plants fall to disease pretty easily. Contrast that to Striped German, Black Krim, Amana Orange, Zapotec, Coustralee or Marianna's Peace and I get 20 or more fruit from each gigantic plant. They are grown in the same bed, started the same way so the difference is striking.

So help me decide between the varieties listed, which would you grow for taste and production balance? I can grow one of each of these. I have only listed those for which I actually have seeds.

ORANGE: Orange Minsk / Orange Jazz / Summer Cider

RED/PINK/YELLOW STRIPE: Jazz / Solar Flare / Lithium Sunset

PINK SLICER: Rebel Yell / Dester / Grightmire's Pride

BLACK: Japanese Black Triefel / Black Icicle / Margaret Curtain

Any other suggestions welcome.

Thanks for your help!

You're going about this all wrong.

You don't have limited space, you have limited nearby gardening friends.

LindyAdele · January 27, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tormato

You're going about this all wrong.

You don't have limited space, you have limited nearby gardening friends.

That is true!! I grow about 5 at my dad's house, and give a few to friends but I need more gardening friends....

Ann123 · January 27, 2017

I am already planning what my parents have to plant so that I can have a double variety

Cole_Robbie · January 27, 2017

I love all the Jazz(es) and Rebel Yell. I tried all the icicles last year, and they were duds for me due to BER and disease. Dwarf Tasmanian Chocolate is my favorite dark variety.

January 26, 2017	#1
LindyAdele Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 323	Can you help me decide between a few tomatoes? I have limited space and narrowing down my list is SUPER HARD!! I can only grow 16 varieties. We love our cherries, and grow at least 6 cherry/salad types. The best producers in my garden are Russian/German varieties it seems. Dwarfs, Pastes and Hearts all fail. I can't get them produce anything more than a couple of fruit each, and the plants fall to disease pretty easily. Contrast that to Striped German, Black Krim, Amana Orange, Zapotec, Coustralee or Marianna's Peace and I get 20 or more fruit from each gigantic plant. They are grown in the same bed, started the same way so the difference is striking. So help me decide between the varieties listed, which would you grow for taste and production balance? I can grow one of each of these. I have only listed those for which I actually have seeds. ORANGE: Orange Minsk / Orange Jazz / Summer Cider RED/PINK/YELLOW STRIPE: Jazz / Solar Flare / Lithium Sunset PINK SLICER: Rebel Yell / Dester / Grightmire's Pride BLACK: Japanese Black Triefel / Black Icicle / Margaret Curtain Any other suggestions welcome. Thanks for your help!

January 26, 2017	#6
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,919	Of your list I have only grown Japanese Black Triefel. It is very tasty and fruit shape is slightly pear like. But it was not as productive that as I wanted. So I am growing other black varieties. __________________ Gardeneer Happy Gardening !

January 26, 2017	#2
Labradors2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Ontario Posts: 3,896	From your list, I have tasted, and LOVED: Lithium Sunset (WONDERFUL. Not grown by me, but will grow it this year!) Grightmire's Pride (which is a heart BTW. Grows well for me). Margaret Curtain. Really pumped them out, but has radial cracking. I preferred the taste of Indian Stripe RL, but production wasn't as good. (Am growing ISPL and maybe ISRL this year). How about an early variety? I grew Moravsky Div last year and it produced well and it tasted good. A friend starts some compact varieties for me in mid-Feb and I grow them in 3 gallon containers that can easily be put outside early and brought inside if it gets too cold. I get tomatoes by mid June this way. I love Early Annie, but Jagodka is earlier. Maglia Rosa is another that would grow in a container and they are beautiful, tasty, and can be eaten at any stage of redness. More ideas for you would be: Black Early Eva Purple Ball Little Lucky (my favourite, but perhaps a little late for you) Lindy's Little Krim. Very productive, and sweet Linda

January 26, 2017	#4
JosephineRose Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: California Posts: 383	I've tried Solar Flare twice now and it has failed me both times. I think it needs high heat to really produce.

January 26, 2017	#5
barbamWY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: North West Wyoming Posts: 466	I have grown both Dester and Margaret Curtain. Dester is late for me but good. I have better luck with Black Early over Margaret Curtain. Barb

January 26, 2017	#7
cloz Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Southern Connecticut Posts: 435	Orange Jazz is a large great tasting productive tomato that was early to ripen in my garden. Rebel Yell was also a good tasting tomato but was one of the last to ripen in my garden. I grew Japanese Black Trifle a few years ago but did not like the taste so it has not been re-grown. Cloz

January 26, 2017	#8
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Riesentraube is very good cherry type. http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Riesentraube

January 27, 2017	#13
Ann123 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Belgium Posts: 240	I am already planning what my parents have to plant so that I can have a double variety

January 27, 2017	#14
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I love all the Jazz(es) and Rebel Yell. I tried all the icicles last year, and they were duds for me due to BER and disease. Dwarf Tasmanian Chocolate is my favorite dark variety.